Memorial services for Robert Nicholas, 81, of Portales will be held at 11:00 AM, Fri., Nov. 5, 2021 in the Wheeler Mortuary Chapel with Rev. Rusty Kenyon officiating assisted by Cami Shoemaker. Those desiring to make memorial contributions may send them to either the ENMU Foundation or the New Mexico Boys and Girls Ranch.
Robert Lewis Nicholas was born July 6, 1940 in Padernal, NM to the home of Ruby Grace (Simpson) and Jesse Lewis Nicholas, and died early on Sunday morning, Oct. 24, 2021 in Lubbock, TX. He grew up in Belen, and graduated from Belen High School in 1958. He went on to attend New Mexico Tech and later UNM. On April 14, 1962 in Belen, he was married to Donna Sue Beene. For twenty-five years, he drove for Hadley Auto Transport in Belen. He enjoyed riding horses and farming when he wasn’t hunting for rocks and arrowheads. Through the years, he had built a large collection. He was a very private man, whose whole life was tied up with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Mr. Nicholas and his wife moved to Portales in 2019. He was a member of the Calvary Baptist Church in Portales.
He is survived by Donna, his wife of nearly 60 years of their home in Portales; his daughter and son-in-law, Melody and Rick Pierson of Portales; four grandchildren, Cami (Stoney) Shoemaker of Ima, NM, Cori (Sam) Robin of Brookhaven, MS, Cali (Sky) Bradshaw of Alamosa, CO and Tanner (Rose) Nicholas of Belen, NM; six great-grandchildren, Cutter Howl, Cash Lewis Howl, Parker Robin, Elizabeth Robin, Bryar Shoemaker and James Shoemaker; and a sister, Janette Lowell of Belen, NM; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, James Allen Nicholas and Gerald C. Nicholas, and by his son, Alan Lewis Nicholas who died in 2018.
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